Parmesan Chicken Breasts with Crispy Posh Ham
Submitted by sarah hyland
Parmesan chicken breasts topped with thyme, lemon zest, and grated parmesan, wrapped in prosciutto, pounded thin and pan-fried until the ham crisps. An elegant Jamie Oliver dinner ready in 15 minutes.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
5 minCOOK
10 minREADY
15 minJamie Oliver’s trick for a fast, restaurant-worthy chicken breast. The breast gets scored, seasoned with pepper (no salt, since the prosciutto handles that), then topped with fresh thyme, a grating of lemon zest, and a blanket of parmesan.
Three slices of prosciutto go over the top, then the whole thing gets bashed thin under cling film to about a centimeter. Flattening it does two jobs: the chicken cooks in minutes, and the ham bonds to the meat so it crisps into a salty, savory crust.
Cook it prosciutto-side down first to render and crisp that ham, then flip, giving the crispy side an extra thirty seconds. Three minutes a side and you’re done. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. It looks impressive but lands on the table in about 15 minutes.
Chef Tips
- Skip the salt. Prosciutto and parmesan are both salty, so pepper is all the seasoning the chicken needs.
- Pound it evenly to about a centimeter. Thin, uniform breasts cook through in minutes without drying out.
- Start prosciutto-side down and give it that extra half-minute. That’s what crisps the ham into a crackly crust.
Variations
- Use sage or rosemary in place of thyme for a different herb note.
- Swap the prosciutto for thinly sliced pancetta or speck.
- Tuck a thin slice of mozzarella or fontina under the prosciutto for a melty, saltimbocca-style twist.
Ingredients
Directions
To prepare your chicken: Grate your Parmesan.
Pick the thyme leaves off the stalks.
Carefully score the underside of the chicken breasts in a criss-cross fashion with a small knife.
Season with a little pepper (you don’t need salt as the prosciutto is quite salty).
Lay your breasts next to each other and sprinkle over most of the thyme leaves.
Grate a little lemon zest over them, then sprinkle with the Parmesan.
Lay 3 prosciutto slices on each chicken breast, overlapping them slightly.
Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves.
Put a square of cling film over each breast and give them a few really good bashes with the bottom of a pan until they’re about 1cm thick.
To cook your chicken:
Put a frying pan over a medium heat.
Remove the cling film and carefully transfer the chicken breasts, prosciutto side down, into the pan.
Drizzle over some olive oil.
Cook for 3 minutes on each side, turning halfway through, giving the ham side an extra 30 seconds to crisp up.
To serve your chicken:
Either serve the chicken breasts whole or cut them into thick slices and pile them on a plate.
Serve with some lemon wedges for squeezing over, and a good drizzle of olive oil.
Lovely with mash and green veg or a crunchy salad!
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